Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

downshifting

British  
/ ˈdaʊnˌʃɪftɪŋ /

noun

  1. the practice of simplifying one's lifestyle and becoming less materialistic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Ford recalled up to 1.39 million F-150 pickups in April over the risk of unexpected downshifting that can lead to a loss of vehicle control.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

As Wall Street looks ahead to 2026, with many investors hoping technology stocks will keep delivering gains, one veteran Wall Street strategist says he’s downshifting on tech for the first time in 15 years.

From MarketWatch Dec. 8, 2025

Laura Epstein Scully, once a corporate “worker bee,” enjoyed downshifting in retirement and taking a “mañana attitude.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 19, 2024

Pandya said he would watch whether holiday season shoppers on Monday would continue "downshifting to cheaper goods" in categories, a pattern he noticed earlier this year.

From Reuters Nov. 27, 2023

You could literally see her downshifting from the fastest to the slowest.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training